Butter cutting machine



March 10, 1942. A. SLATEN 2,275,566

BUTTER CUTTING MACHINE Filed June 12. 1939 3 Shets-Sheet 1 Inf/en i907 March 10, 1942. A, SLATEN 2,275,566

BUTTER CUTTING MACHINE Filed June 12; 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 4A :L' i, z

5% Infield-0r flLBEETflflE/V 4 7 l fiz gg I09 6 March 10, 1942. L 2,275,566

BUTTER CUTTING MACHINE Filed June 12, 1939 3 Shee-hS-Sheet 5 Fly. 15

1572101507 flz 5m? ci/ITE/V Patented Mar. 10, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BUTTER CUTTING MACHINE Albert Slaten, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application June 12, 1939, Serial No. 278,615

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a butter cutting machine. It is desired by many hotels, restaurants and other places to have butter cut into comparatively thin rectangular pieces for serving. Butter is generally supplied. to such institutions in pound packages either in one or several pieces. It is now common to serve a pound package which is divided into four elongated pieces rectangular in cross section which may be cut into the desired pieces for serving.

It is an object of this invention to provide a butter cutting machine of extremely simple form, one which can be sold at a comparatively low price and which is quite efiicient in operation.

It is another object of the invention to provide a butter cutting machine comprising a casing having a butter holding magazine therein, a tray at one end of and without said casing adapted to receive a butter dish and mechanism actuated by depression of saidtray by the operator for feeding and cutting butter carried in said magazine and delivering the cut pieces into a dish carried on said tray.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a butter cutting machine having a casing, a cover for said casing which may be open and a rotatable magazine disposed in said casing comprising radially arranged compartments, said magazine being readily removable from said casing-when said cover is open, so that said magazine may be loaded outside of said casing.

It isstill another object of the invention to provide a butter cutting machine comprising a casing having an opening at one end for the delivery of cut pieces of butter, a tray disposedbelow said opening adapted to receive a butter dish, a lever having one end connected to said tray and pivoted adjacent the other end of said casing. a butter feeding mechanism, a butter cutting mechanism, said tray and lever being depressible by the operator for actuating said butter feeding and butter cutting mechanisms.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection withv the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which- Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the device;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device with the cover removed;

Fig. 3 is a partial plan View on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the magazine removed from the machine;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 8 as indicated by the arrow;

Fig. 6 is a view in end elevation of the machine;

Fig. '7 is a view in end elevation showing the end of the machine opposite that shown in Fig.

Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken substantially on line 88 of Fig. 5 as indicated by the arrow;

Fig. 9 is a vertical section taken substantially on line 9-9 of Fig. l as indicated by the arrow;

Fig. 10 is a horizontal section taken substantially on line Ill-Ill of Fig. 9 as indicated by the arrow;

Fig. 11 is a horizontal section taken substantially on line H-Il of Fig. 14 as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 12 is a vertical section taken substantially on line l2-|2 of Fig. 11 as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 13 is avertical section taken substantially on line l3-l3 of Fig. 11 as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 14 is a perspective View of a cooling or refrigerating device used; and

Fig. 15 is a partial vertical section taken substantially on line Iii-45 of Fig. 2 as indicated by the arrow.

Referring to the drawings, a butter cutting machine is shown comprising a casing 26. While this casing might be variously formed, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated it is shown as rectangular in horizontal and vertical cross section, the same having a cover or lid 26a of rounded form fitting on the top thereof and hinged thereto along one side by hinge 2i. Lid

or cover 200. can be held in raised position by means of a pair of toggle links 2 la and 2 to. Link 21a has a depression 2lc therein into which the head of a screw Zld snaps or engages when the toggle link is straightened with the cover in open position. The toggle can be easily broken by hand to close the cover. The walls of casing 26 and cover 20a are preferably formed of spaced layers of sheet material such as metal between which will be disposed some material forming a good insulator, such as cork. Bearings are provided adjacent the ends of casing 20, one of which is formed by a small bracket 22 bolted to the inner side of said casing. The bearing in bracket 22 is open at its upper side. A latch member 23 is pivotally secured to the inner side of bearing 22 by a pivot screw 24 which is adapted to swing over and hold in place a shaft 25 receivable in said bearings. As shown in Fig. 8 member 23 has a projection 23a, thereon which overlies shaft .receive a butter dish 54.

25. Member 23 extends substantially vertically and the upper end is formed as a handle. The

other bearing referred to is formed at the bot- I tom of a slot 25b formed in the end of casing 20. A magazine 25 is secured to and carried by shaft 25 between said bearings. Magazine '23 is shown as comprising a plurality of compartments 250. which are rectangular in cross section, each having its outer side open between small flanges 2% which extend parallel to the inner side 2650 of each compartment. Said inner sides 2E0 are arranged to form a regular polygon. Said compartments may be secured to plates 2501 at each end of said magazine by rivets 26c. 28 are also shown as extending between the sides of adjacent compartments 26a. A ratchet wheel 2'? is secured to shaft 25 as by the pin 28 shown, said ratchet wheel having teeth Zia equal in number to the compartments 26a. A pawl 29 formed, of a spring plate has an end 29a adapted Small ribs to engagethe faces of teeth 21a and hold the 7 magazine in one position. Pawl 29 is secured to a block 38 secured to the bottom of casing 23. A knob handle 3! is secured to shaft 25 at the outer side of the casing adjacent slot 29b. Magazine 26 can be rotated and brought into different positions in engagement with pawl 29 by turning knob 35. The magazine together with shaft 25, ratchet wheel 21 and knob 3i can be bodily removed from the casing when lid or cover Eta, is in open position. The magazine can thus be loaded outside of the casing.

A butter feeding mechanism is provided and this comprises a plunger member or block 32 of slightly smaller area than the cross section of one of the compartments 25a. Block 32 is adapted to move in said compartments respectively as shown in Fig. 8. Block 32 has a bracket 33 secured thereto, the same having a vertical slot therethrough adapted to receive the upstanding portion Ma of a bracket 34. Bracket 34 has openings through which pass a pair of guide rods 35, said rods being secured at their ends in small brackets 36 secured to the inner sides of the end walls of casing 26. Bracket 34 has pivoted thereto on a pivot or pintle 31, a pawl member 38. Pawl member 38 is thus swingable vertically and drops by gravity into engagement with a rack 39. Rack 39 is removably carried in guide brackets it] and ii having slots therein in which said rack fits, said slots being open at their upper sides. Rack 39 has secured therein a pin 62 which projects at opposite sides of said rack and is received in slots 63a formed in the top of a cam 43. Said cam is shown'as comprising spaced plates, one of which is disposed at either side of said rack. Cam 2-3 is pivotally mounted on a pivot M projecting therethrough and carried in a post or bracket 55 secured to the bottom of casing 23. Cane 43 has an opening 432) therethrough with which cooperates a cam roller 46 carried on a pin or stud ii secured in a lever bar d3 extending longitudinally of casing to and pivoted at one end on a pivot member 49 carried in a bracket 50 secured to one end of casing 2:1.

Stud 5'! is shown as having a nut 5i thereon at one side of bar 48 and cam roller 46 is held on said stud by'a pin 52.

Bar 18 projects through openings 26h in the end of casing 26! and has a tray 53 secured at said end without casing 20 which is adapted to Leverbar d8 has a downwardly extending projection 3811 to the lowerend of. which is secured one end of a tensile cured to a small bracket 5% secured to the bottom of casing 25. Rack 39 has the teeth 39a at one end thereof of increased height for a purpose to be later described. The pivot member 31 to which pawl 38 is secured projects at one side of the bracket 34 to form an arm B'ia which has an eyelet at its end to which is secured a cord or very flexible cable 5'1. The end of arm 31a is also provided with the weight 3% so that the end of said arm tends to fall by gravity. Cord or cable 5'? extends through an opening in the end of casing 20 and runs around a small pulley 53 journaled on a stud 59 extending through and secured in a small bracket $8 secured to the end of casing 20. A tube 6! has one end secured in bracket 60 and its other end secured in a bracket 62 secured adjacent the other end of casing 26 as shown in Fig. I. Said tube iii extends along the outer side of casing 2%. Tube 6| is provided with a slot 6Ia in the side thereof through which projects a pin 63 having a ball 63a secured to its outer end and forming a handle. Pin 63 at its inner end is secured in a plunger 64 which slides in tube GI and to which one end of cord or cable 51 is secured.

A butter cutting mechanism is provided comprising a vertically movable cross head 65 having side portions guided in brackets 65 secured within the end wall of casing 2E3. A bail 61 extends over the top of cross head 65 and through a groove in said top. A spring catch 68 secured to cross head 65 is adapted to spring over the top of bail 51 to hold the same in place. Bail 61 has downwardly and outwardly extending arms which have their lower ends bent substantially at right angles to extend through holes formed in bar 53, which bar as shown in Figs. 2, 11 and 13 extends from casing Zil and is bent into semicircular shape, the same forming the support for tray 53. Cross head 65 has a wire 69 extending across a substantially rectangular opening therein, one end of said wire being secured over a small hook projection 65:; on said cr'oss head and the other end being secured to one end of an adjusting screw ill threaded in a lug 65b projecting from one side of cross head E5. Wire 69 is shown as extending at a slight angle to the horizontal where it crosses the opening in cross 7 head 65.

Cross head 65 is adapted to aline with an opening 26c in the end wall of casing 20 and with which the compartments Ziia successively aline. Plunger member 32 thus also alines with coiled spring 55, the other end of which is sesaid opening. A door H having a lower flange Ha extends over opening 230 andis hinged adjacent its upper end on pintle "i2.

stationary portion Zild of casing 20 which extends outwardly about cross head 65 which also has opening 290 therethrough. Cross head 65 has carried thereon in alinement with portion 'Hb a cam 65c adapted to engage said portion and swing door H outwardly as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 13 against the tension of spring '53. It will be noted as shown in Figs. ll, 12 and 13 that casing 26 has a substantially horizontal portion Ziie which extends inwardly adjacent the end of magazine 26. Side portions 29] extend upwardly from portion 29c and have inwardly projecting quite thin flanges Zllg at their ends which project towardeach other. As shown in Figs. 5, 6, 12, 13 and 14, the bottom wall of easing Said door at its upper end has an inwardly extending 20 slopes downwardly below opening 200. Said casing has a molding 14 extending thereabout and said molding is cut away in alinement with said downwardly sloping portion to have a top surface flush with the top of said portion, thus forming a recess 14a in said molding. The openings through which lever bar 48 projects are shown in Fig. 6 as 20h. I

It will be noted that cover Zlia has a downwardly extending portion 20ab which covers slot 29b and extends substantially to shaft 25.

A cooling or refrigerating receptacle St is provided shown in Fig. 14. This comprises a receptacle made of sheet material such as metal and.

being of semi-annular form. The same has an inner substantially semi-cylindrical surface or side 80a which is adapted to closely surround the magazine 26. Said receptacle has an open top and horizontal bottom portions at either side which rest on brackets 81 secured to the inner sides of the side walls of casing 20. Said receptacle 80 is provided with a handle 80b.

In operation, the cover 20a will be opened and the magazine 26 as shown in Fig. 4 removed. The magazine can then be loaded, a block of butter being disposed in each of the compartments 2611, Such elongated pieces or blocks of butter may be the pieces now commonly retailed as quarter pounds. In some establishments it may be desired to have several of the magazines. These can be loaded and kept in refrigeratorsuntil it is desired to use them in the machine.

The loaded magazine is placed in the casing 20 and the cover can be closed. It is desirable to place finely divided ice or other refrigerant in the casing 80. This willkeep the butter in the magazine in the desired solid condition. When the machine is to be thus started, the operator moves the handle 83 and 63a to the left to the limit of its movement as shown in Fig. 1. This :1

pulls member 34 to its extreme right hand position as shown in Fig. 15 or to the left hand position as shown in Fig. 5. The bracket 58 is placed above the top of rack 39 so that when arm 31a and pawl 33 are pulled to their extreme end positions they will be lifted, thus moving over the teeth of. said rack. A small butter dish 54 is now placedon tray 53. The operator now depresses tray 53 thus swinging lever 48 about its pivot 49 against the tension of spring 55. This moves roller 46 downwardly against one side of opening 431) in cam 43 so that said cam is oscillated about its pivot. This moves rack 39 to the left as shown in Fig, through the connection of pin 42 with cam 43. As the lever 48 is pulled downwardly it pulls downward the cross head 65 through the bail 61. The wire 69 thus moves through the end of the block of butter. It will be understood that the said end at the beginning of the operation is projecting beyond wire 69, the distance corresponding to the thickness of the desired cut piece. The piece of butter is thus cleanly severed by wire 69. As cross head 65 descended cam 65c acted on projection 1 lb swung open the door 'H. The piece of butter thus swings outwardly and drops into the dish 54. When the operator releases tray 53 spring 55 moves the same and lever 48 to its upper position. After the lever has moved upward a certain distance so that wire 69 is out of alinement with opening 200, cam roller 46 acts on the upper inclined side of opening 43b and swings cam 43 toits full line position as seen in Fig. 5. The rack is now moved to the right, and, as said rack thus moves, one of its teeth engages pawl 38 and moves said pawl so that bracket 34 and plunger 32 are moved with the rack substantially the distance of the length of one of the rack teeth. Plunger 32 thus pushes forward the block of butter in the compartment 26a and the end of said. block is thus projected the proper distance beyond the plane of wire 69 so that when lever 48 is again depressed it will be severed. The end teeth 39a on rack 39 are made of extra height for the reason that arm 38 would not drop down sufiiciently to engage the teeth in the first three operations if they were of the normal height. This is due to the fact that the end of the arm is held up by cable 51 until there is suflicient slack in said cable for weight 3117 to lower arm 31a suificiently for pawl 38 to engage the rack. It will be understood that when cross head is raised spring 13 closes the door I I. The above operation is repeated by the operators successively pushing down on tray 53. At each of said operations a piece of butter is severed and drops down into a dish 54. Preferably only one cut piece is delivered into each dish. The portions 20g are provided to give an additional support for the piece of butter when it has reached its smallest thickness before the last out. These members prevent the piece of butter from being mashed down and insure that a proper rectangular piece will be cut and delivered. The tension of wire 69 can be maintained at the proper degree by the adjusting screw Ill. The rack 39 is made readily removable. The length of the teeth on the rack determines the thickness of the cut pieces of butter. Som establishments prefer one thickness and other establishments prefer a different thickness. The proper rack can be used to give the desired thickness. When plunger 32 has expelled or projected all of the block of butter the operator again takes hold of handle 63 and 63a and slides plunger 64 to the left as shown in Fig. l to the limit of its movement. When the block of butter in one compartment has been cut and delivered the operator turns knob handle 3| to bring the next compartment into alinement with opening 200. The magazine is held by the pawl 29 and the operator successively depresses tray 53 until the block of butter has been all cut. The operation is repeated until all the butter in the magazine has been cut and delivered. The plunger 32 with its bracket 33 is made readily removable so that it can be easily washed or cleaned. The refrigerating casing can be readily lifted from the casing when cover 20a is in open position.

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided a very simple and yet very ellicient butter cutting device. The pieces of butter to be served are cleanly severed and are placed in the serving dishes without being touched by the operator. The butter propelling means and the butter cutting means are both operated from the one lever 48 which is actuated by the operators depressingthe tray 53. The mechanism and operation are thus both quite simple. The walls of the casing being made with insulating material therein and the refrigerating casing 80 being used, the butter is kept in firm and solid condition for being propelled and out. It is unnecessary with this machine to have cut pieces of butter put in a dish with ice and water as is a common practice. Butter thus placed in water and ice loses its flavor and tastes flat.

With the present machine the butter is kept firm until the cut piece is dropped on the serving dish. The butter retains its full and natural flavor and is ver palatable. There is a marked difference in the taste and flavor of the butter out in the present machine and butter cut by hand and kept in ice and water. The machine hasbeen amply demonstrated in actual practice and found to'be very successful and eflicient.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, without departing fromthe scope of'applicants invention, which generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A butter cutting machine having in combination, a casing having an opening at one end, a tray at the outer side of said casing disposed below said opening and adapted to receive a butter dish, a lever within said casing having one end projecting therefrom and connected to said tray and pivoted adjacent the other end of said casing, a spring holding said lever in position with the tray end thereof elevated, a butter feeding'mechanism including a pawl and a ratchet bar connected to and actuated from said lever,

and a butter cutting mechanism adjacent said opening connected to and actuated from said lever, said tray constituting an operating element arranged to be depressed by the operator for op- W erating said feeding and cutting mechanism.

2. A butter cutting machine having in combination, a casing having an opening at one end, a tray at the outer side of said casing disposed below said opening and adapted to receive a butter dish, a lever having one end connected to said tray and pivoted adjacent theotherend of said casing, a spring holding said lever in position with the tray end thereof elevated, a rotatable magazine in said casing comprising a plurality of radially arranged compartments, said magazine being constructed and arranged to be positioned with one of said compartments in 'alinement with said opening, a plunger movable in said compartment for advancing a block of butter therein, a pawl secured to said plunger, a cutting mechanism adjacent said opening for cutting a piece of butter from said block, means connected to said lever including a ratchet .bar for moving said pawl and a cam for moving said ratchet bar and actuated by said lever for advancing said plunger step by step, and means connected to said lever for operating said cutting mechanism, said tray forming an operating element and being depressible by the operator for actuating said means.

3. A butter cutting machine having in combination, a casing having an opening at one end, a tray at the outer side of said casing disposed below said opening and adapted to receive a butter dish, a lever within said casing and having one end projecting therefrom and connected to said tray and pivoted adjacent the other end of said casing, a spring holding said lever in position with the tray end thereof elevated, a rotatable magazine in said casing 'havinga plurality of compartments, said magazine being constructed and arranged to be positioned with one of said compartments in alinement with said opening, a plunger movable into said compartment "for advancing a block of butter therein, a swingable pawl secured to said plunger, a reciprocable rack with which said pawl engages to move said plunger step by step, and a cam connected to said rack and connected to and movable by said lever for reciprocating said rack, said tray forming an operating element depressible by the operator for actuating said means.

4. A butter cutting machine having in combination, a casing, a rotatable magazine in said casing comprising compartments substantially rectangular in cross section having inner flat sides, a polygonal supporting member for said compartments having sides engaged respectively by said flat sides, said compartments having openings extending longitudinally thereof at their sides opposite said flat sides, a plunger movable in one of said compartments when in a certain position in said casing, said plunger having a support extending through and movable in said opening, a pawl swingingly carried by said plunger, a ratchet bar rcciprocable to engage said pawl and move said plunger step by step, a lever pivoted at one end adjacent one end of said casing and projecting from the other endof said casing, a cam connected to saidratchet bar, a cam roller carried on said lever at an intermediate portion thereof for operating said cam and a butter cutting means connected to and actuated l. y said lever.

5. A-butter cutting machine having in combination, a casing having an opening at one end, a tray at the outer side of said casing disposed below said opening and adapted to receive a butter dish, a lever having one end connected to said tray and pivoted adjacent the other end of said casing, a spring holding said lever in position with the tray end thereof elevated, a rotatable magazine in said casing comprising a plurality of radially arranged compartments, said magazine being constructed and arranged to be positioned with one of said compartments in alinement with said opening, a plunger movable in said compartrn'ent for advancing a block of butter therein, a

cutting mechanism adjacent said opening for outting'a piece of butter from said block, means connected. to said lever for advancing said plunger step by'step, means connected to said lever for operating said cutting mechanism, said tray forming an operating element and being depressible by the operator for actuating said means, a cable connected to said plunger, a guideway at'the exterior of said casing having a member movable therein to which said cable is connected and a handle secured to saidlast mentioned member for moving said member in said .guideway and retracting said plunger.

6. A butter cutting machine having in combination, a casing having an opening at one end, a tray at the outer side of said casing disposed below said opening and adapted, to receive a butter dish, a lever having one end connected to said tray and pivoted adjacent the other end of said casing, a spring holding said lever in position with the tray end thereof elevated, a rotatable magazine in said casing having a plurality of compartments, said magazine being constructed and arranged to be positioned with one of said compartments in alinement with said opening, a plunger movable into said compartment for advancing a block of butter therein, a swingable pawl secured to said plunger, a reciprocable rack w th which said pawl engages to move said plun er step by step, means connected to said lever for reciprocating said rack, said tray forman operating element depressible by the operator for actuating said means, said casing having anropening in the end opposite said opening disposed some distance above said rack, an arm con- 'nected to and swingable with said pawl, a cable secured to said arm and passing through said last mentioned opening, a pulley at the end of said casing over which said cable passes, a guide memher along the side of said casing, a member movable in said guide member to which said cable is secured and a handle secured to said last mentioned member for moving the same and said cable to lift said arm and pawl and retract said plunger after the latter has expelled said block of butter from said compartment.

ALBERT SLATE-N. 

